Lincoln Strike Group Conducts Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS101029-11
10/29/2010
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alan Gragg, Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs
USS CAPE ST. GEORGE, At Sea (NNS) -- Surface and air units assigned to the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group honed their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) skills during a multiunit exercise Oct. 23.
Guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71) and two MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77 successfully closed in, surrounded and simulated destroying a sophisticated ASW training device, called an expendable mobile ASW training target (EMATT), during the three-hour exercise.
The U.S. Navy MK 39 EMATT is a low-cost, open ocean ASW training target that is deployable from the air via parachute or launched off the deck of ASW ships at the start of training.
For this exercise, the device was dropped from one of HSM 77's helicopters.
After dropping the EMATT, the helicopters prowled over the water, deployed sonobuoys into the water to track the target while sending data and maintaining communication with both USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and Cape St. George.
"We the primary airborne ASW asset attached to the strike group, so if there's a submarine threat out there we'll find it," said Lt. Cmdr. Aric Edmondson, one of HSM 77's pilots who flew the training mission. "The idea is to build team proficiency like we did today."
Carrier strike group ASW exercises are designed to promote stability and security throughout the region in support of freedom of navigation and safe global trade.
Cape St. George and HSM 77 are part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility, conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the region.
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